


I Shall Slay

by goldendoodlelover (katsith)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, AruAni, Comedy, Education, F/M, Humor, Rap Battles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-15 19:24:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18675928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katsith/pseuds/goldendoodlelover
Summary: AU. Straight-A student Armin is forced to join an underground rap battle competition in order to save his scholarship. He may be too straight-edged for a brutal verbal war at first but with the influence and guidance of his mentor (Levi) and his teammates, he will be able to prove that words are indeed mightier than a sword.





	1. Special Assignment

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Shall Slay](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/478186) by goldendoodlelover. 



The door to clasroom 104 slid open loudly. Despite the noise, nobody paid attention to the latecomer. Either they were too focused on the exam (Levi makes them deadly) or they already knew who it was. Who else could it be? Of course it was Armin Arlert. Nobody else arrived thirty minutes late to class.  
The blond walked towards Levi's desk, sweating and catching his breath.

  
"Mr. Levi, please let me take-"  
"Oh no. No no no, son. This was your last chance, remember?" Levi said in a quiet voice.

Armin's face fell. He was so desperate that he would do anything to take that english exam from hell. He wanted to beg and cry in front of Levi. But he already did that before and doing it again would be pushing it. The teacher had already given him way too many chances to make up for his tardiness and poor attendance and he failed to comply each time. The tears won't work on him this time.

"Sir, please hear me out. I-"  
Levi raised a hand.  
"Not here. Come to the faculty room after class. We'll discuss what happens to you there."  
"I... I understand."  
  
A distressed Armin exited the room. Deep inside, he was already panicking. He was going to lose his scholarship. It was the only reason he was still able to attend Shiganshina Academy; the only reason he could still attend school. He could not afford to lose it.  
  
I need to calm down and think about the best way to go about this, he thought.  
  
Armin made his way to the vending machines in the school garden. All that running earlier made him thirsty. After getting himself a bottle of water, he made his way to the benches. To his surprise, his classmate, Annie Leonhardt, was there.

Armin raised an eyebrow. She was the kind of student who slept in class and would skip three times a week but she would always show up whenever there was an exam. She still cared about her grades, somehow. Did she finally decide to go full-on delinquent? He did not really know much about her since she would always brush him off whenever he tried to strike up a conversation.  
Armin snuck up behind the girl and took a peek at what she was doing. Annie was scribbling poems on her notebook.

  
Something for english class, perhaps? Wait. No. They're not just ordinary poems. They're... insults. Really nasty ones!  
Armin's eyes landed on a particularly intriguing verse at the bottom of the page.  
  
_I'm running this cutthroat business_  
_Be my guest, the witness and my victim in this blood fest_  
_You tell me you're the dark horse in this contest_  
_Well I'm your master, ringleader, kneel down motherfucker!_  
_You're a beast? Choke on this leash, cocksucker_  
_I'm the devil, you're the cattle your friends sacrificed to me_  
_Tryna play nice with me? Bitch, it's a battle_  
_You tryna grit your teeth boy but I see 'em rattle_  
_I'ma rip up your fake rep to pieces and I'll feast on it_  
_When it's your turn to home in, watch my presence make you phone it_  
_And when I'm through with you I will take down your crew_  
_I'ma rough up their mental, make them squeal like..._  
  
Armin didn't know whether to be scared or impressed. Did Annie really write all this? Was this her expressing how she was feeling today?  
It was nothing like Armin ever read before. The poem had a rather violent message and contained a lot of curse words and yet there was something about it that was gripping.

  
_I felt that_ , he thought.

  
Annie's pen hovered above the page, unmoving. Her brows were knit together in concentration, oblivious to the world around her. Armin looked at her and back at the verse. He put a hand on his chin thoughtfully.

  
"Hmm. Something that squeals and rhymes with 'crew', huh?" he murmured.

  
Startled by the sound of his voice, Annie hastily closed the notebook and jammed it in her bag as if her life depended on it. She turned around to check the busybody's face. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was just Armin.

  
"What are you doing here?" she inquired.  
"I, um, came here to cool off." He pointed at the bottle of water he just bought.

Annie eyed him suspiciously.

"You're late for the exam."  
Armin winced.  
"Mr. Levi... kicked me out. Looks like I'm going to fail English hahaha..."

  
Armin laughed nervously but the sound of it rang hollow. Annie stared at him. Here was a guy that did everything right but somehow still ended up a trainwreck. There really was no justice in the world.

"Um, so... What about you? Aren't you going to take the exam?" he asked.  
Annie seemed to hesitate but ultimately decided to give him a truthful answer.  
"I was exempted from taking it."  
"Oh. Okay haha..."

Armin could not fathom how she could be exempted from the exam. Aside from the fact that she was a slacker, Levi liked seeing his students suffer. He would never exempt anyone from taking his notorious exams. There was something going on here.

"Er, that was a joke, right?"  
Annie zipped her bag shut and stood up.  
"It's not. I'm getting an A+ in his class as a final grade."  
"W-what did you do?"  
"Why don't you ask Levi?"

As if to avoid further questions from the boy, Annie turned on her heel and swiftly walked away. Armin did not know why but the fog of worries in his mind seemed to have cleared up a little. Was this hope?

Armin felt the need to thank Annie. He yelled after her.

"Hey Annie! I think the word you're looking for is 'kazoo!'"

Annie stopped walking as if a life-changing realization just stopped time itself. She recited the last lines of the verse in her head.  
  
_And when I'm through with you I'll take down your crew_  
_I'ma rough up their mental, make them squeal like a kazoo_  
  
Huh. Not bad, she thought.  
Annie smiled in satisfaction and left the troubled boy behind her.

 

* * *

  
  
"Mind telling me why you were late again this morning?" Levi asked as he sprayed disinfectant on his desk.  
"Sir, it's my job. The manager won't give me another shift." Armin said.  
"I thought you quit?"  
"Well, I was going to, but then my grandfather broke an arm. He won't be able to work for a while so I have to shoulder paying all the bills and work overtime."

Levi stopped wiping his desk and stared at the boy.

"That's really unfortunate, Arlert. However, you have to understand that I can't even give you a passing grade anymore since you were absent from class more than half the time. It's the rules."  
"Oh."

Armin was not sure if he should ask Levi about Annie's exemption. From the defensive way she acted around him earlier, he could tell it was a matter that was supposed to be confidential. Now he might be desperate but he did not want to get her in trouble just so he could save his scholarship. And then he remembered her words.  
  
_Why don't you ask Levi?_  
  
"Sir, I heard you're giving Annie Leonhardt an A+."

Levi's eyes narrowed. Armin heard him curse under his breath. "-just couldn't keep her trap shut, could she?" he muttered.  
It was true. He really was going to give Annie an A+! Hope swelled in Armin's heart.

"I don't know how she earned it but whatever it is, I'm more than willing to do it."

Levi eyed his student for a moment. His usual frown contorted into a sinister smile.

"Uh, I mean, I'd do it as long as it's not illegal," Armin amended.

The teacher rolled his eyes. He scanned his surroundings, checking for eavesdroppers. When he was sure no one was within hearing range, he leaned in towards an uneasy looking Armin. He spoke in a low voice.

"Fine. I'm giving you one final chance. But before I do, I have to check if you're cut out for this. It's an A+ that's at stake here after all. More than that, actually. So I'd take this seriously if I were you. You hear that?"

Armin nodded, looking determined.

"Alright. What I want you to do is write a rhyming poem that takes thirty seconds to read. No more, no less."  
"Can it be about anything?" Armin asked.  
"No. It should be about me. Now, I want you to insult me in the most cutting and witty way possible in that poem. Don't hesitate to use swear words. In fact, I highly encourage you to use them."

Armin was both baffled and horrified.

"I-I don't know, Mr. Levi. That seems really, um, disrespectful."  
"Goddamnit Arlert. It's not disrespectful if I'm the one who asked you to insult me in the first place. Do you want the A+ or not?"  
"Yes!"  
"Then just fucking do it. Show it to me after school. I'll be in the music room with the other members of the team."  
"Yes, sir! I'll work on it right away, sir!"  
"Oh and Arlert, do not tell anyone about this. Understood?"  
  
Later at lunch, Armin was bombarded with questions by his two worried bestfriends. He appreciated Eren and Mikasa's concern although he wished sometimes they would just give him some space. He could solve his own problems after all.

"Dude, if there's anything we can do to- what are you doing?"

Eren leaned over the table to see what his friend was doing. Armin stopped writing and hastily closed the notebook sitting on his lap. He had been busy composing that poem ever since Levi dismissed him from the faculty office. He did not know why but for some reason, he wasn't allowed to tell anybody about the strange homework.

"Er, I'm writing an essay for Mr. Levi's class." he lied.  
"Oh, okay. Need a hand?"  
"Eren, if he's having trouble with homework you're the last person he'd ask help from," said Mikasa.  
"What, you think you and Armin are the only ones who can excel academically?"  
Eren gritted his teeth. It was so easy to rile him up. "For your information, I'm getting an A+ on Levi's class!"  
"Yeah okay, good for you," Mikasa said.  
  
Three tables away, Annie set her tray down on an empty table. It was because of her that Armin still had a shot at saving his scholarship. He stood up and made his way towards the lone girl. Eren noticed his friend leaving.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Annie looked up and raised an eyebrow at Armin. The boy had suddenly taken a seat opposite her.

"Uh, hey," he said.

Annie grunted without looking up from her food.

"I talked to Levi. He asked me to make a poem just like the one you had in your notebook. He's giving me another chance."  
"Yeah?"  
"I realized the whole poetry thing's supposed to be a secret. And yet you chose to tell me about it anyway. I... wanted to thank you."  
"Dunno know what you're going on about. I didn't tell you anything."  
"You told me you're getting an A+, remember?"  
"Oh. That. That... was me flexing."

Armin wanted to hide in embarrassment. How could he have misinterpreted boasting as an act of kindness? His overthinking has really gotten out of hand.

"... Oh."  
"Yeah. I don't need your thanks, Arlert."  
"D-do you regret it though? Bragging about it, I mean. 'Cause Levi seemed angry earlier when he found out I knew-"  
"Who cares? He's always mad about something."  
"I guess that's true," Armin replied.  
"And no, I'm not sorry for flexing at you while you were down," she said.  
"I see. Huh," said Armin, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.  
"Well, I'm still not taking my thanks back. I still owe you one. So thanks, Annie. I mean it," said Armin with a sheepish smile.

Annie narrowed her eyes at him.

"What are you, a masochist? You get off on- You know what, fuck this conversation."

Harshfully digging her fork into the plate of pasta in front of her, Annie waited for the boy to leave her alone. Eren and Mikasa had been watching them from afar the whole time. They looked like parents who got separated from their child at a mall. Annie thought they looked utterly pathetic.  
Contrary to what she was expecting, Armin did not head back to sit with his overprotective friends. Instead he opened his notebook and began writing. When she saw what he was doing, her interest grew.

"Let's see it."

Armin looked at her with inquiring eyes.  
She pointed at his notebook. "You don't mind, do you?"  
Armin shook his head vigorously. "No! Not at all. In fact, I could use your advice since you seem to be more experienced at this than I am." His mind wandered back to the avant-garde poem he saw in her notebook that morning.

  
Armin anxiously watched her as her bored eyes pored over what he wrote.  
"So... What do you think?" he asked expectantly.  
"It sucks." she declared as she handed him back the notebook.  
"Oh." Armin was at a loss for words. That tiny hope within him had been crushed by the same person who accidentally, disdainfully, gave it to him in the first place. It was still too early to lament though.

"Then, what do you suggest I do to improve it?" he asked.  
It was only there for a second or two but the twisted smile that crept up Annie's lips made Armin panic.  
"Alright, first up. You're gonna have to think of a more savage word than 'short.'"


	2. Mr. Levi Ain't So Lit

Armin read through his poem ten times and made last-minute revisions. The last thing he wanted was Levi rejecting his poem just because of a misspelled word or wrong use of punctuation. By the time he was finished, everybody had already left the classroom. Armin gathered his things and made his way to the music room. When he arrived, the sight of Eren surprised him. Levi was the first to notice him arrive.  
  
"Ah, there you are. You did what I asked you to do?" he said as he lounged lazily at the teacher's desk, making big cross marks on test papers with a red pen.  
  
Eren's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Armin! What are you doing here?!" he asked.  
  
"He's trying out for the team. Better keep your mouth shut though. He doesn't know anything yet." Levi said. He turned to Annie who was sitting distantly in a corner and shot her a glare. "Or does he?"  
"Why are you asking me?"  
Levi put on an absurd-looking face and pitched his voice an octave higher.   
"'WhY aRe yoU asKinG mE?' You told him everything, goddamit."  
Annie scowled at him.  
"The hell would I tell him shit for? I rubbed my final grade in his face, that's it. Other than that, he doesn't know anything. He's clueless."  
"For your sake, he better be."  
  
Armin took out the poem from his bag and walked towards the teacher's desk.  
  
"Here's the poem, sir," he said, handing Levi a sheet of paper.  
  
"Read it out loud," he replied with a wave of a hand.  
  
The boy tensed up. He was not expecting this.  
  
"H-huh? But-"  
  
"Don't worry. The room's soundproofed so you can swear at me all you like and no one outside will hear."  
  
 _That's not the point_ , Armin thought. The setup was so wrong that it bothered him: he, a student, was going to diss a teacher. In their face. Normally, that was something students do behind the their backs. If they get caught, the punishment would usually be detention, suspension, or worse, expulsion. Never in a million years did Armin imagine that he would be doing something like this for grades.  
  
"Go for it, Armin," Eren urged.  
  
There was no choice but to do it. Armin knew that. He'd just get on Levi's bad side if he told the man that he did not want to read the offensive poem. It was a known fact that Levi despised people who acted like divas. Student or teacher, it did not matter. Levi would carry out retribution accordingly.  
  
It's do or die.  
  
And so began a most half-hearted reading of "Mr. Levi Ain't So Lit."  
  
 _"Watch as I put this manlet in his place._  
  
 _Once I'm done you'll be worshipping this ace._  
  
 _You're angsty 'cause your life has been a waste_  
  
 _You're thirty still stuck in a teenage phase_  
  
 _You're not so badass. You're just a phony._  
  
 _Dude, you look like you smoked one too many._  
  
 _Tell people you're a burglar and swindler_  
  
 _Bet they'll fall for it hook line and sinker_  
  
 _You're a sorry excuse for a teacher_  
  
 _L'il sir, where's your resignation letter?_  
  
 _If I stole your job, nobody will know_  
  
 _Watch me get paid more, my sullen fellow_  
  
 _Who's a clean freak? You ain't so spick and span_  
  
 _Your mouth spills trash like it's a garbage can_  
  
 _Think you're cool for dropping a bomb or two?_  
  
 _Tell you what, with all due respect-"_  
  
A cold shiver ran down Armin's spine the moment that word entered his line of vision. It was THAT word; the one word that did not exist in his daily vocabulary. It was a word that sounded like books being ripped apart, lockers being kicked and test tubes crashing on the floor. He just could not bring himself to say it.  
  
"With all due respect... Umm..."  
  
"What?" Levi taunted him.  
  
"It's just a poem," Annie said. "Say it."  
  
Armin knew she was right. Irreverent or not, it was just that. A poem. More importantly, was she rooting for him?  
  
With all the courage he could muster, he recited the last line of the poem in the most assertive yet dignified way he could.  
  
" _Tell you what, with all due respect f-fuck you!_ "  
  
Mr. Levi let out a whistle. Armin could only hope that that was a sign of his approval. He saw his friend, Eren flash a proud grin and a thumbs up at him.  
  
"So? What do you think?" Eren asked Levi.  
  
"Not bad," he said, "but not good either."  
  
"Well is he in the team or not?" Eren asked impatiently.  
  
"Hmm. He definitely knows how to rhyme. His vocabulary's good. Too good."  
  
"Uh, thanks." Armin said, flattered. He was quite proud of his expansive vocabulary.  
  
"Don't misunderstand, Arlert," Levi countered. "That's my problem right there. I'm looking for someone with a wide bad word vocabulary. That shit you got is tame. Hell, it almost sounds tactful. I'm not even gonna get started on your delivery."  
  
At this, Armin's shoulders hung and he looked more dejected than ever. Why did he even try? He had never in his life badly insulted another person. What did he know about stuff like that? He should not have even attempted it in the first place.  
  
"Geez, you didn't have to be so forward about it." Eren said, throwing concerned glances at his friend. Armin knew the other boy felt sorry for him and it made him feel worse.  
  
"Well if he can't handle blunt criticism then he's probably not cut out for this. You are aware of the nature of this... discipline, yes?"  
  
Eren fell silent. Meanwhile, apart from feeling the self-disappointment set in, Armin grew more and more curious.  
  
Just what kind of 'discipline' required a person to have both an impressive bad word vocabulary and a tough exterior?  
  
Then Annie spoke up.  
  
"Can I throw my two cents in?" she said.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. Annie was not usually one to give an opinion about anything. Her speaking up was a surprise to everyone in the room.  
  
"I'm listening," said Levi.  
  
"I propose we recruit him into our team."  
  
"I don't think you heard me-"  
  
"What you say is true. This guy didn't do so hot with his half-assed delivery. But you can't just dismiss the fact that he does have a way with words," she said firmly.  
  
Armin did not know why Annie, eternally-unimpressed-Annie, kept giving him the push. Regardless, it was something he definitely needed.  
  
"Also," she continued, "he got his facts straight. You are a manlet and a sorry excuse for a teacher."  
  
Armin's eyes widened with shock. How can she just say that?! Eren on the other hand, turned his back to Levi, trying hard to suppress a laugh.  
  
"What the hell are you getting at?" Levi said. His expression was unreadable.  
  
"My point is, you're our coach," Annie motioned to Armin with her chin, "and this guy's got the guts and potential. Judging from your bravado, you must be pretty skilled. You should have no problem whipping people like him into shape, then."  
  
She paused in reconsideration.  
  
"Or are you actually a sorry excuse for a coach, as well?"  
  
Levi stared at her and she gave him a blank look in return. He looked as if he was actually considering her proposition- no, her challenge. Armin could only keep his fingers crossed.  
  
"Fine," Levi sighed in defeat. "But if he's not making any progress, he's gonna have to go."  
  
Armin couldn't believe it. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He might just be able to keep his scholarship after all! Well, there's still the possibility that they might kick him out of the group but that was a scenario that could be avoided. Of course he was going to do his best in order to stay.  
  
"Don't go celebrating yet, Arlert. Your A+ is tentative until you meet ALL my expectations," Levi told him.  
  
Eren gave his best friend a pat on the back.  
  
"Welcome to the team, Armin."  
  
Once again, he was saved by Annie and he felt truly grateful. He smiled at her but something outside the window seemed to be much more interesting to her than his small success because she was blankly gazing at the sunset stained outdoors.  
  
He was about to approach her when Levi caught their attention.  
  
"Alright, listen up. Here's the deal. You three will be competing in the Annual Underground Diss Battle of Titansville. Each school in the city has their own representative team headed by a mentor assigned by the Royal Dissing Group of Companies. As you already know, I am your mentor and I will be guiding you all throughout the competition. What now, Jaeger?"  
  
Eren lowered his raised hand.  
  
"You're telling me that this... Royal Dissing Corporation is an actual thing?" he said.  
  
"There are many clandestine organizations that exist outside the general public's eye. This is one of them. Nobody knows about the annual diss battle except the facilitators and those who are involved in the actual battle themselves. Consider yourselves 'the lucky chosen few.'"  
  
Eren looked like he was having a hard time processing what Levi just said. Armin didn't blame him. It all sounded so unreal.  
  
"Damn, I wonder who funds these groups," said Eren.  
  
"Moving on, the opening ceremony of the diss battle will be held this coming Saturday evening. That's when you'll find out who you'll be up against. I'll explain the details and assign your tasks tomorrow after school. Are there any questions?"  
  
Armin's hand shot in the air.  
  
"Yes, Arlert."  
  
The blond boy hesitated for a moment but decided that now was a good time to ask. Nobody had enlightened him yet about what exactly he was getting himself into.  
  
"What's a diss battle?" he asked.  
  
Levi blinked, waiting for the punch line but the boy remained silent, waiting for an answer. Levi grabbed the small pile of unmarked test papers on the desk and fanned himself with it. He sure as hell had his work cut out for him.


	3. Chaperone

Armin turned off his computer and ran through his checklist again.  
  
_1\. Remove all incriminating photos and posts from the internet._  
Armin did not really use social networking sites that much so there was nothing to delete. Check.

  
_2\. Don't wear stupid clothes or anything that would make you stand out too much._  
He was wearing a plain white shirt, dark denim jeans and casual sneakers. A safe ensemble, he thought. Check.

  
_3\. Don't do or say anything stupid in the presence of competitors._  
Armin still wasn't sure what Levi considered stupid. Still, he would try to be careful with his actions and words during the opening ceremony. So check.

  
_4\. Don't tell ANYBODY about the annual diss battle and avoid talking about it with your teammates._  
 Sure, he can stay quiet about it. Check.

  
_5\. Win two battles. Then you get the A+._  
Armin pondered over that last one. Can he really accomplish such a feat? Is he equipped with the right skills?

  
During the past few days, the team (sans Annie, who preferred to practice alone) had been meeting after school at the music room. He and Eren would brainstorm, write lyrics and recite their diss in time to a beat while Levi tried to tear apart their efforts. The whole experience did not exactly give him a self-esteem boost but he noticed that the more Levi berated him, the more he became desensitized making it easier for him to hold back the tears.

  
Annie's challenge had undoubtedly roused something within Levi. Not only was the man much harsher on him than on Eren, Armin now had to meet much higher standards in order to get his A+. Unlike Eren and Annie who automatically earned the high grade by simply joining the competition, he was expected to win at least two battles before Levi gave him the grade. This was quite unfair but he knew that he was in no place to complain.

  
"There's no other way," he said as he ticked the box with much force it tore the paper. Education is so important. He needs to make it happen no matter what.

  
He lit up a match stick and burned the checklist. It was best to erase all potential evidence. The diss battle was not a secret that was only for him to keep after all. It was a secret he shared with several others and he did not want to be the one who would mess up and expose that secret.

It bothered Armin why Levi kept stressing the importance of the whole thing being kept confidential. Why go to all that trouble? It was just a diss battle after all. He read on the internet that people from all over the world participate in those. It's not like it was something illegal.

Armin snatched his backpack from his bed and made his way to the living room where his grandfather was watching the news. Every evening, the old man would usually be out working as a pianist at The Garrison, a popular jazz bar in town. But ever since he got injured, he had just been staying at home.

"Hey grandpa, I'm going to study for entrance exams. I'll be back before midnight" said Armin, uttering the words a little too quickly.

His grandfather's brow furrowed in concern.

"Alright. Don't overwork yourself though. I know things have been difficult for you lately," he said. The old man smiled bitterly. "Sorry I couldn't help out."

Armin forced a smile.  
"Don't worry. It's nothing I can't handle," he said reassuringly. "Though you really should recover soon, grandpa. I heard that the regulars down at The Garrison were not too thrilled with Hannes' piano-playing."

The old man chuckled at this.  
"Guess I should take your advice and take it easy then," he said. "Best you head on out now. Wouldn't want to keep your study buddies waiting."  
"Right. See you later, grandpa."  
"Bye, m'boy."  
  
Armin made his way to Cafe Maria, the coffee shop where he worked part time at, and also the team's meeting place. He walkd over to the outdoor tables set in front of the cafe. Eren waved at him. He was sharing a table with Annie and...

_Is that Mikasa?_

"Yo," Eren greeted him. One look at his face and Armin could tell the other boy was having a bad day. It was evident why from the annoyed glances he threw at the dark-haired girl beside him.

"You ready for Levi's tutoring session?" Eren asked cautiously.  
"Yes, um..."

Armin turned to Mikasa who was contentedly sipping on a protein shake.  
Armin deduced that she followed Eren to their meeting place. That was not good. Levi had reminded them over and over to never involve any 'outsiders'. He would definitely not be thrilled to see Mikasa with them.

"Uh, hi Mikasa. How's the shake?" he asked her.  
"Pretty good."

Eren looked at Armin with eyes pleading for help.

Armin checked his watch. Levi would be arriving anytime soon. They had to find a way to make Mikasa leave or else they will suffer the teacher's wrath.  
It was too late for that though. A sleek black car drifted to a stop in front of the cafe with finesse, and Levi emerged from the driver's seat. He called out to them and his eyes narrowed into slits when he saw four, not three, teenagers walk up to his car.

Armin, Eren and Mikasa squeezed themselves into the backseat while Annie took the right front seat. Doors closed and an awkward silence filled the air.  
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Somebody please tell me what the fuck Ackerman is doing in here," he said.

Eren groaned, slapping a palm against his face.  
"Okay look. Just for the record, I didn't ask her-"

Mikasa lifted a hand, shutting him up.  
"I'm his chaperone," she said.  
  
Eren shook his head vigorously.  
  
"No. No, you're not. She's not. She followed me here!"  
  
The girl looked away, tugging at her red scarf.  
  
"I just want to make sure you're not getting yourself into any sort of trouble."  
  
Eren scoffed.  
  
"What trouble? It's just a tutoring session! See, there's even a... a responsible adult present. And who the heck brings a chaperone to a study session anyway?!"  
  
"It's just that," Mikasa glanced at Armin's backpack and then at Eren, "you didn't bring anything for studying at all. Not even your text books."  
  
Eren's angry expression morphed into a confused look.

"... What?"

  
A guilty silence fell over everyone.

"All those times you purposefully disappeared after school... You didn't really study for entrance exams, did you? Why did you lie, Eren?"

Eren's face paled and his mouth hung open. He tried to conjure up alibis in his head but he knew that Mikasa, sharp as she was, would never believe any of his pathetic excuses. To his relief, Levi spoke up.

"Listen, Mikasa. Eren is safe with me and I won't let him run around causing a shit storm. So please, stop worrying."  
"If you guys aren't really up to something shady, then let me go with you."  
"Just let it go. It's none of your business," said Eren.

Levi snapped at him. "Shut up, Jaeger."

"Sorry. You can't come but I assure you he'll be back before midnight. I might not be the best role model out there but I'm still your teacher and I don't tolerate kids involving themselves in shady business. So please, stop worrying so much and go home."  
"I'm not going anywhere. Not until you tell me where you're headed."  
"Not far. Don't worry."  
"Where exactly?"  
"Not. Far."

Mikasa met Levi's eyes through the rear view mirror. It was a look that said, "You are leaving and that's that."  
Point taken, Mikasa thought. But she wasn't going to walk out alone.

"Fine. I'll leave. But Eren and I are a package deal. If you won't let me go then he's not going either."  
"A package deal, huh? So if you fail exams, he fails too," Annie said.  
"I won't fail. And I'll makes sure Eren doesn't too. "  
"Heh. Famous last words," Annie remarked.  
"Famous last words you hear from me before we leave for college and never see you again, you mean," Mikasa said. "You think you're smart Annie, but I'm smarter than you. Once we're out of high school there's no Mr.Levi to suck up to anymore. It's all real hard work and effort from then."

Mikasa held Eren's wrist in a vice grip and opened the car door.

"Let's go, Eren."  
"Ow! Goddamit let me go! Levi, do something!"

"Wait." Levi called out, turning on his seat so that he could see the two teens who, at the sound of his voice, immediately stopped their ruckus.

"Ackerman."  
"What?"  
"Eren can go if I let you tag along, right?"  
"Yes..."  
"Fine, then. You can come with. But I'm going to have to ask for your cooperation on-"

"Let me set things straight. I don't care what you guys are up to. You can go do whatever and you won't hear a peep from me. But if this is something dangerous or illegal, I'm going to have to go home,"

She tightened her grip on Eren's wrist which ellicited a yelp from the boy.  
"And I'm taking you with me," she said to him.

"Tch. Fair enough." Levi replied. "You got yourself a deal. Now, please. Get your asses in the car."

And that was that.  


* * *

 

When Levi parked the car in front of the Titansville city hall, the teens started asking questions. Levi ignored them as he took quick long strides towards the main entrance.

"Just follow me," he told them.

They passed by the entrance guards who, to Armin's surprise, wished them good luck. He figured that they knew about the diss battle. Maybe the venue of the battle was the city hall after all, he thought. That, however, seemed unlikely because the place was completely deserted.

Levi stopped in front of one of the gigantic paintings along a corridor. It was a painting of giants eating people. The teacher tapped at a certain point on the elaborate frame and a clear 'ding!' emanated from the painting as it slid to the side, revealing a room which looked to Armin like an elevator.

"Woah," Eren breathed. "This is just like the movies."

"What are you guys standing there for? Hop on or we're gonna be late," said Levi impatiently.

When all of them were inside the elevator, Levi pressed the button with the letter 'B' on it and they began their descent. During the ride down, Levi pulled out a white piece of cloth from his pocket and masterfully tied it around his neck. He did it so quickly it was as if he had been doing it for many years. When Eren saw the cravat, he did his best to conceal his laughter in a fit of coughs. Mikasa rubbed his back until he finally recovered. This gesture made Annie roll her eyes.

It took an entire minute before they finally heard the ding sound from before, and the door swung open. What greeted them was a small, empty-looking lobby. The only notable things about it were the huge double doors at the back of the room and the two buff men in black guarding them. Levi whipped out an ID card and showed it to one of the bouncers. The man examined it for a moment, nodded and gave his comrade a thumb-up. The other man then lifted a walkie-talkie to his mouth.

"Sweeper has arrived. Attendance is complete," he said.

The bouncers then opened the doors in synchrony.

"Welcome to The Basement, you guys."


	4. Savage

Armin could not believe his eyes as he took in the scene before him.

The room they had emerged into was a dome-shaped night club. Now, Armin had never been to a night club before but based on the pictures he saw in history books, he could tell that this one was exceptionally spacious and grand. The interior design made the place look like something out of a science fiction novel.

Disco balls and blocks and cylinders hung from the ceiling like celestial bodies and colorful laser lights shot from every direction. On the stage, a DJ scratched records on the turntable like a madwoman while people clad in office attire and street wear moved their bodies spiritedly on the dance floor. Armin suddenly realized why the city hall above was completely deserted.

"So this is where you'll be having your study session?" Mikasa asked.

"Oh shut up," said Eren. He craned his neck up, marvelling at how high the ceiling was.

"Man, who would've thought a place like this existed underground?"

"Under the city hall too," Armin added with excitement. It was his first time being in such an environment and it was both a bit overwhelming and fascinating to him.

The music gradually reduced volume and a spotlight focused on an old man on the stage. He was wearing a gaudy red tuxedo. When he spoke into the mic, his booming voice echoed througout the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the arena where students handpicked by members of the Royal Dissing Group of Companies will duke it out in a battle of deadly poetry and sass!"

Eren squinted his eyes. "Wait a minute. Isn't that... Isn't that Pastor Nick from the Wallist church? What's he doing here?!"

"Working part-time," Levi replied.

"Welcome! I welcome you all to the 24th Annual Underground Diss Battle of Titansville Kick-Off Party!"

The crowd roared like wild animals.

"I am Big Nick and I'll be the host for the entire competition! But before we get this party started, we have an opening speech from the beloved mayor of Titansville. I present to you, Mayor King Fritz! Everybody give the guy a round of applause!"

"Wait. WHAT?!" Eren exclaimed.

Armin was speechless. The mayor was in on it.

"I... wasn't expecting that."

"Why not? We're in the City Hall's basement for god's sake," said Annie.

"And look at that asshole. He's exactly the type of person who'd have a secret night club built below his office."

Applauses and cheers erupted from the audience as Mayor King Fritz walked tipsily on the stage, holding a bottle of liquor.

"Hey, peeps! Good day! Welcome to the Annual, um, Diss Battle... Underground of Titansville! Hoo boy! That's a mouthfuI. So I, uh, hope y'all have fun today... Real fun... Like the fun I had last night when I went to this place with the lovely ho-"

Big Nick snatched the mic from the mayor.

"Oooookay! Thank you for that um, very wonderful speech, Mayor King Fritz! Erm, somebody please escort our dear mayor off the stage. Please? Thank you."

The two bouncers at the entrance walked up to the stage. One helped the wobbling mayor to his seat while the other cleaned the pile of sick on the ground.

"Ahem. Now that that's over and done with, it's time to introduce the geniuses responsible for this entire event."

Big Nick proceeded to introduce the big wigs of the Royal Dissing Group of Companies. There was Zeke, a mysterious bespectacled man with a glorious beard, and Pixis, one of the main founders of the group and a diss battler since the medieval era.

"Rumor has it that he single-handedly engaged a hundred philosophers in one debate. A hundred versus one man. They were speechless after he finished rapping his arguments," Levi said.

Armin looked at Pixis. He did look ancient but really now, the medieval era?

"That can't be true, can it?"

"Well, it could be just a rumor but who knows?"

When it came to the last person the entire hall became silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you our esteemed leader, the CEO of the Royal Dissing Group of Companies, everybody give it up for WordSmith!"

A light shone on WordSmith. He was a tall man with chiseled features, the build of an Olympian and a crown of golden blond hair. There was an aura about him that commanded respect.

WordSmith stood up and waved to the crowd who in turn applauded solemnly. The change in the night club's atmosphere was jarring.

"Now, it's time to reveal the matchup for this tournament. Who will be battling each other for the number one spot? Let's find out!"

A match up diagram flashed on the gigantic screen at the stage. At the bottom were the photos of the contestants with their names underneath. Armin recognized a few of them. There was Sasha Braus, Titansville's champion competitive eater; Historia Reiss, the sole heiress of the Reiss Corporation; and Reiner Braun, a notorious delinquent who has suffered a lot.

Eren whistled.

"Connie Springer? Looks like it's not gonna be an easy win for me. Who's that you're dissing first round?"

Armin squinted at the photo of the boy he will be up against. He gave off an aura of timidity and passiveness. Armin hoped this assumption was correct. He didn't feel confident enough to face an aggressive opponent on the first round.

"Bertolt Hoover... Don't think I've seen him before," said Eren.

"Me neither."

"He's a concert pianist," Levi said as he straightened his cravat. "Quite popular within the classical music community for nabbing gold medals at international competitions."

"Sounds fancy," Eren said.

"Don't let that fool you. I spoke with his team's coach and apparently, his mouth's dirtier than a Baroque outhouse. I'd tread carefully, Armin."

"Y-yes, I will."

Big Nick began introducing the battlers one by one. As their names were called, a spotlight shone down on them. When his turn came, Armin did his best to remain calm as he waved and smiled to the crowd. Among all the competitors, Armin noticed that he got the least enthusiastic response. Everybody else got hoots and cheers and raves. The most he got out of the spectators was a polite applause.

It was a huge blow to his confidence. It was almost as if they could tell that he was no good. Could he really stand up on that stage, utter bad words and insults, and make it look as if he really meant them?

_No, stop it, Armin. You have no choice. You have to do this for the sake of your scholarship._

_For the sake of my scholarship. For the sake of my scholarship..._

He repeated the words in his head like a mantra.

"Who will win the grand prize? It's all up to YOU, the audience! So get clappin' if you're rooting or betting on somebody!"

_For the sake of my..._

"Speaking of the grand prize, ya kids are gonna get blown away when you hear what it is. The champion of this tournament will bag a hundred thousand dollars! But that's not all! They'll also be granted a full scholarship at the prestigious Royal University of Titansville!"

_For the sake of THAT scholarship!_

"Sweet!" Eren exclaimed. "I can buy a nice ride with that cash! And Armin, isn't RUT your dream school?"

"It is. I can't believe they're giving a scholarship away in a competition like this!"

"I can't believe it either," Mikasa said. "It all sounds so... suspicious."

"Hey, leave your tin foil hat at home, alright?" Eren scoffed. "And keep that paranoia in check before you completely lose it."

"I doubt you'd have the gall to tell me that when you lose your internal organs."

"My internal- Are you kidding me with this girl?"

Armin held his palms up. There was no way he was involving himself in the argument that was about to happen.

"Okay, first of all, no one's losing their internal organs. Second-"

Not this again, Armin thought.

"I'm gonna go get a drink," he said to them.

 

Armin made his way to the buffet table which was still being swarmed by millennials. He took an empty cup and walked to the iced coffee machine. As his cup filled, thoughts of winning and attending RUT pervaded in his head.

_That's right. It shouldn't matter if I'm the underdog in this competition. I still have a chance. It might be futile but I'll do my best to win. Who knows, I just might get lucky. And I've been plenty lucky lately._

"Your cup's spilling."

The voice was right. His drink was overflowing! He turned to grab a napkin and bumped into a person, accidentally spilling his drink on their clothes and on the floor.

He looked up from his mishap and saw Annie, the victim, giving him a reproachful look.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Annie"

Armin frantically took a bunch of napkins and attempted to wipe off the disaster from her clothes. He stopped his hand a mere few inches away from her, realizing he was about to make another mistake.

"Um... I'm really, really sorry. If you want I can-"

"No thanks," she said firmly.

Annie took off the gray hoodie, revealing the black tank top she wore underneath.

She tied the hoodie around her waist and started filling an empty cup with iced coffee. Armin awkwardly watched her, wondering whether she was mad at him or not.

"Hey Annie. Are you ma-"

"Do they do that often?" she asked suddenly. "Fight like a bunch of kids?"  
"Huh?"  
"Your friends."  
She gestured towards Eren and Mikasa.  
"All the time. I don't think you can call it a real fight though since it's really just Eren going on a tirade."  
"Huh. Sucks to be Mikasa, then."  
"Yeah. I don't know how she stands him when he starts yelling like that. He can get really annoying."  
"Annoying, huh?"  
"Y-yeah but don't get me wrong, Eren's a cool- um, great guy most of the time. It's just... Mikasa really needs to stop acting like a helicopter parent sometimes. It's not like Eren needs another doting mother..."  
Annie looked at him in surprise. She studied his face for a moment and then smiled devilishly.  
"W-what?" Armin asked, feeling unnerved.  
"You're actually low-key savage, aren't you?"  
"Uh, savage?"  
"Yeah. Brutal. No chill. Will roast somebody into submission."

Armin knew what the word meant but why was she using it to describe him? Did he perhaps say something wrong?

"Was it something I said?"

"Don't worry about it. It's a compliment."

_What? How is that a compliment?!_

Annie handed him a drink.

"Here. Make sure you don't spill it on me this time or I'll beat you up and take the shirt off your back."

"Yes, ma'am!"

 

When the pair went back to regroup with the rest of team Levi, Armin noticed that Eren was still arguing. But this time, it was with a teenage guy with a rather long face.

Armin recognized him. He was Jean Kirschtein, a hotshot track-and-field athlete who got into a brawl with Eren at an interschool sports competition the previous year. They both got disqualified.

"Oh hey, Armin! Great timing with the refreshments. I've been having a little chat with Jean here and I'm getting a bit HORSE."

Jean winced at the obnoxious pun and at the obnoxious way his rival emphasized the word.

Eren grabbed the drink from Armin's hand and with way too much zeal, tried to down it all in one gulp. It seemed to have went down the wrong drain because a few seconds later, Eren was suffering from a coughing fit. For Mikasa, this was a cause for worry but Jean saw it as karma biting Eren back in the ass.

"What's this? You haven't even stepped on the stage yet and you're already choking?" he sneered. "You need the Heimlich, pal?"

Eren wriggled free from the clutches of Mikasa who was getting ready to do the Heimlich. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and gave Jean a fake friendly smile.

"I appreciate your concern, Jean. HOOOF boy! That was rough but it's okay I'm STABLE now. That's FILLY kind of you to worry about your NEIGHbour by the way. You're not as FOAL as I thought you were."

A combo, Armin noted.

Eren felt a strong sense of satisfaction as Jean gritted his teeth in frustration. There have been circulating rumors about how the young athlete would start throwing tantrums whenever people compared him to a horse. People could call him a stallion, a dark horse, it doesn't matter. It will never stop irritating him.

"One of these days you'll run out of puns, Eren Jaeger," said Jean seethingly.

"But I won't. I bought an equestrian dictionary the day you punched me. That's three hundred pages worth more of your misery, pal.'"

Armin couldn't tell if his friend was bluffing about the dictionary. Is the horse vocabulary really that big?

Jean opened his mouth, ready to snap back but he held back his words, which came as a surprise both to Eren and Armin.

"Remember this day, Jaeger because you're going to regret it," he said.

He glanced fleetingly at Mikasa.

"See you around, Mikasa," he murmured before walking away.

Just before he disappeared into the crowd, Eren called out to him.

"HAY, Jean! I forgot to say something."

Jean looked back (he wanted to punch himself for doing so) and saw Eren smugly nod at the designer running shoes he was wearing.

"Nice kicks."

Jean flashed him the middle finger.

 

* * *

 

"That was pretty fucking stupid, Eren," Levi said as he moved the shift stick to the fourth gear. Armin noticed that the teacher liked driving fast. Really fast. Levi drove smoothly but there were a few instances where Armin could swear he was going past the speed limit.

"Oh come on!" Eren griped. "I was brilliant! Did you see the anguish in his face? You saw it right, Mikasa? He clearly got destroyed. And it's not even a match."

"You don't seem to have noticed. I'm not surprised," Levi said.

"Notice what? His tears?"

Eren looked at Armin questioningly. The latter recalled the encounter.

"Hmm. Now that I think about it. He handled your teasing pretty well back there. I was surprised. It was so unlike him to just stand there quietly. It's almost as if..."

"He was holding back," Levi stated.

"What? Why? That doesn't make any sense. Why would he hold back?"

"What's rule number three?"

Eren was getting annoyed by the second.

"Man, I don't even remember how many there are!"

"Rule three? If I remember correctly it says we should avoid doing or saying anything stupid around our competitors," Armin said.

"Yes and that's where you failed, Eren," said the teacher.

"But I didn't do or say anything stupid!"

"The puns were stupid," Mikasa said.

"They were brilliant," Eren corrected.

Armin tried to figure out what Levi was talking about. And then he remembered.

_"One of these days you'll run out of puns, Eren Jaeger."_

_"But I won't. I bought an equestrian dictionary the day you punched me. That's three hundred pages worth more of your misery, pal.'"_

Could it be... _that_?

"Eren, I think you just gave away your trump card."

"What, the horse dictionary?"

"Yes, Eren. The horse dictionary and your barrage of puns," said Levi. "Now he knows what your verses are going to be like. If I remember correctly, he'll be your next opponent if you both win the first round."

Eren seemed to consider this for a bit.

"I don't see what the problem is. It's not like he can all of a sudden stop having a horse face in the next few weeks."

"No. But the element of surprise is no longer there. Catching the other person off guard with a killer verse can throw off their whole game. It's very important. You'll get what I'm talking about when you're up there being a target board for shit talk."

"Wow. That's very reassuring," said Eren.

"I'm just giving you an idea what to expect. Not everybody who comes up on that stage comes down the same person. A single battle can crush your soul. If it takes talent to diss a person, it takes immense willpower to endure one."

Everything that Levi said sounded so fascinating to Armin. He never knew that diss battling was so profound. Still, Armin didn't think it was something he'd participate in out of personal interest. He just wanted his A+. Possibly, the RUT scholarship as well but that was asking for too much.

Levi said one needed talent and immense willpower. The boy wondered whether he could gain both in a span of one week because currently, he knew he didn't posses any of the two.

Apparently, he also needed to gather information on Bertolt Hoover. Eren had told him earlier that he'd assist him in what would be his first 'recon expedition.' Armin was skeptical at first but he said yes. He trusted Eren more than anyone else.

That being said, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

_The things I do for education..._


End file.
